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For anyone who has been working in responsible investment over the past couple of years, 2020 has been like a face full of ice cold water.

The events of the first half of the year cut through all the fanfare we have grown used to, as we celebrate progress on ESG data quality, collaborative engagement victories, stricter disclosures regulation. They have woken us up; reminded us how unequal the world remains, how much damage we continue to do to our planet, and just how detached financial markets are from reality.

The UN predicts that 71 million people will be pushed back into extreme poverty this year, marking the first ri…